Reaching for You
by BabyBlossom
Summary: Sasuke knew something was wrong when she uttered those words. He realized his mistake when he reached for her only to find nothing. "N-naruto, Sakura is..!" he panicked. "Sakura? who..?"...Set between Ch699/Ch700
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.. obviously**

**Chapter 1**

_"I... I love you with all my heart!.. If you were to stay here with me, there would be no regrets...because every day we'd do something fun, we'd be happy I swear..! I would do anything for you! So...please, just stay with me!"_

* * *

Sakura sat in the small room, wondering if inviting him was a mistake. After all, he did not look pleased when she offered him the tickets to the hot springs.

She kept on making excuses though. Maybe he was just tired after his arrival from his so called road of redemption? Or was it because she should not have invited him at all? There was nothing between them to begin with.

_'Yes, maybe he doesn't want to be with you.'_

Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought. It cannot be true! She is sure there is something between them now, even if it is not considered love. At least they are somehow back to where they were before he chose the path of revenge and left her on the cold bench that night.

Wait.. that did nott sound right. What kind of relationship had they had back then? Friendship?.. She knew that, to Sasuke, she would never be on the same scale with Naruto. They shared a deep friendship (that even could be called brotherhood) that she herself could not understand, and whatever she does, she probably never will.

What about that forehead poke he used when he started his new path?

Honestly, she did not understand what it meant, but she knew it was a sweet gesture. I mean, You do not just go poke a random person's forehead promising them you would see them again right?

Sighing, she got up from her position on the futon. She adjusted her red kimono ( Yes, red was her favorite, especially with those pink cherry blossom decorations) This place was actually nice! Maybe it is the best thing about this whole thing after all. She should thank Naruto again when she returns.

Sharing the room with Sasuke, however, made her very insecure about her actions. She cannot enjoy her stay as she was expecting, but she should thank Naruto for the effort.

* * *

_"Hey, Sakura-chan!" The golden boy said, running up to her with that goofy smile she always admired, but she would never admit it out loud for the sake avoiding the idiot's talk about how cool he is and how he should be Hokage right there and then because he obtained the coolest smile in the ninja nation and Kakashi should step down right now._

_Besides, it wasn't her character to praise Naruto._

_"Naruto!" She immediately replied. "You look happy! Have you been on a date with Hinata?" She gave him that look that meant: 'I know just admit it!' He and Hinata have been dating for quite the time now. She was extremely happy for them. She had always supported their relationship and was the one encouraging Hinata to confess her love for Naruto. She knew that Hinata would get him in the end and she was right. The blonde turned out to be in love with her, but he was too idiot to notice._

_A psycho from the moon had to show up to knock that into his yellow head._

_"N-no it's not that!" He blushed deeply, another cute sight of him. "You see, Teme's back and he is staying for quite a while. You guys haven't talked much, so I'm giving you the chance." He said, handing her two tickets of some kind and not giving her the time to register what he has just said._

_"What are these? Ramen coupons?" She knew they were not, but she liked to mess with him._

_"No! They are tickets to hot springs." He corrected. "You see, I wanted to go with Hinata but she had some kind of sickness and I thought it would be a waste so.. take them!" He said, handing her the tickets. She doesn't know why it sounded like a lie._

_" B-but, Naruto! Me and Sasuke aren't that kind of thi-"_

_But he was already gone, leaving a confused and flustered Sakura behind, thinking of what she could do with the tickets._

* * *

And here she was, trapped with the Uchiha for three nights in a small hotel... and a small room.

From the bright side, the atmosphere is not as bad as it was when they were on their way to their destination.

A part of her wished she had never mustered the courage to ask Sasuke, considering his reaction towards her invitation. And truth to be told, she was sure that Naruto had influenced him to accept even before she went to his place. She should not have taken that to her credit.

The creak sound of the door cut her train of thoughts.

There he was, the prince charming and the man that occupied her mind at that moment and every moment. Clad in his dark blue kimono, his face was as emotionless as ever, but this is Sasuke-kun we are talking about, so get used to it.

He leaned on the door frame, probably waiting for her to move, and she was sure that if his left arm were not missing, he would be folding his arms to his chest right now. He would have look handsome.

But his missing arm did not make him any less handsome.

Okay she should stop staring now. He was waiting for her and probably very bothered because she had to make matters worse by asking him to come with her to a sacred place after just an hour of their arrival.

She smiled uneasily.

"Umm.. L-let's go?"

* * *

Sasuke was not unhappy. But he was angry.

Do not get him wrong! He is not angry with Sakura. Actually, he could admit he has feelings for her, but he would never say it out loud. He could go as far as denying it.

For her sake, of course.

He was so excited after the war when he was leaving the village again that his mind could not function properly when it suggested poking Sakura's forehead and making a promise to meet her again.

He, Sasuke Uchiha, the Ex-rouge and S class criminal, is in a relationship with Sakura Haruno, the strong, beautiful, angel, and list goes on... kunoichi of Konoha.

That does not sound right. Even his being a hero of the fourth shinobi war would not atone for his sins (in his opinion) and that still will not do good for her reputation (also in his opinion.)

So he decided that whatever is between them could not go any further, even if it meant denying his love and breaking her heart in the result of his selfish actions.

He also regretted accepting her invitation. That was a mistake! The dobe should not have interfered with his plans to avoid her by convincing him to accompany her in a cunning way.

He kept his stoic expression while walking with her in the streets of the small town. The moon was full, and he feels uneasy whenever it is full.

You can blame Madara for that.

He tried to get rid of the thought, averting his eyes to the beauty walking beside him. He did not know where she was taking him.

.

.

Or maybe he did but thought it was too stupid to be true. I mean.. a place where your wishes come true? Really? How stupid does it sound? But it was a belief in this town in the land of fire, he could not just tell people how stupid they are.

Besides, Sakura seems to be believing it too, that is why she was leading them there. And being the semi-nice guy he is, he accepted her offer, but made sure to be as cold as he could be.

For her sake, of course.

"We are here!" He heard her say, with a happy and uneasy expression. Is that even possible? But he could not blame her. It is all his fault after all.

He looked at the place they arrived at. Carved into the rocks was a small.. cave?

What a nice sacred place!

She entered, and he thought he should follow. They have been silent the whole walk, and he has not uttered a word since they left the hotel, but he did not mind it. He stole a glance at the entrance of the cave and noticed an old man sitting with his legs crossed. His tattered clothes looked old and rusty and gaze afar.

A beggar? Why would he be here when he could enter the cave and make a wish for a fortune? It would be more logical.

Sasuke liked being sarcastic about this place.

He soon entered behind her. A few feet away from the entrance lied a huge shiny green stone. It reminded him of Sakura's eyes (but it will never be as pretty). The place was lit by torches connected to the walls and looked sacred (to the people, of course) but he couldn't care less.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!" Again, came her sweet voice. "Will you make a wish?" He glanced at her. Just how could a smart and a sharp-minded girl like her believe in these things? Really, he did not know, but who was he to judge?!

"Just how could you believe in such things?" But it did notvmean that he could not say that.

Blink.. blink..

"Why are you saying that?" She said, trying not to sound affected. "You haven't even tried yet." Yes, he looked very annoyed coming with her. Kami! how she wanted the earth to swallow her right now!

"I don't have to try. From the sound of it, I can tell it's stupid."

Now he is making her angry, and Sakura rarely gets angry with Sasuke. Her being angry with him means that she is too distracted by his foul mouth to remember that she loves him to shreds.

"Why are you always like this? Stop judging things by the looks! You are being arrogant!"

"Why are _you_ defending that rock like that when it's just a rock?! It's annoying!"

"It's not a rock! It's a sacred stone and it's believed to have some sort of powers. Why can't you see the beauty in things?" She shot back.

When he did not answer, she took a moment to calm down. Sasuke can be unbelievable sometimes. She never meant to insult him. She knew what he had been through his entire life, but he could not be a jerk all the time. It is frustrating.

"Look, I'm sorry Sasuke-kun." She said a moment after. She did not want to pick a fight with him, and her feeling that she annoys him cannot help either.

"Hn, whatever. You are annoying." He thought that he should make use of the moment to widen the gap between them, or even make her hate him. Although the mere thought of her hating him makes his heart clench, but he thinks that he has to.

'It's all for her sake.' He keeps on telling himself.

"It's always like that! You keep telling me I'm annoying!" Now she is angry again "If I annoy you that much then you shouldn't have come with me!" She knew that it would not make things any better but she has a point. Does he hate her that much? Really?!

Maybe she is not surprised. She saw that coming, but still, it hurts so much. And maybe him being nice sometimes is because he feels guilty towards her, considering what he did to her in the past.

"Tch, yeah you are right, I shouldn't have." Wait, that's harsh. "I don't know why I have come with you anyway. You always annoy me!"

No no no, he should not have said that! It should not have been like that! He never meant it to come out like that honest! It was supposed to be something like: 'Maybe we shouldn't have done that.' or 'I should go back, it was a mistake.' Yes, it would be less harsh.

And for god's sake he should stop saying that word! She is annoying because she makes him feel things he thought he has long forgotten.

How annoying.

And there he saw them, the tears at the corners of her eyes, but she turned around quickly, not giving him a chance to take a better look. He knew she was trying not to cry in front of him. She wanted to be that strong, solid woman, and he did not understand why she is still chasing after a jerk like him.

"If I annoy you that much, Sasuke-kun.." He saw her use her sleeve to dry her overflowing tears. "..then I wish I had never existed."

He knows that he could never imagine life without her being there, and he knows that he would never wish for something like that. So why does every thing sound so wrong at that moment? Why does that wish seem to be out of order?

Why does it seem to be said in the wrong place?

And the stone answered his unspoken questions the moment lights coming from it surrounded the place and seemed to be directed at Sakura. She looked confused as he was when she noticed that her body was glowing, looking at her hands, she noted that they seemed.. off...

It it not right. That thing is doing something and Sakura is somehow fading! Sasuke knows that he has no time to wonder how it worked, all he knows is that the rock is doing something, and it is not good.

It it not good at all!

Sakura turned to Sasuke, panic was all over his face. She did not know what was going on..

Could it be...

He lunged at her, stretching his arm as far as it could reach. He wishes that what he is seeing was not true, like it is some kind of a dream, or a bad joke. Right it is a bad joke!

Right.

He felt his heart clench, he is so close, so close to reach her-

-but only not to, his hand came in contact with air, a glowing dust. He stood there unmoving, his eyes wide, his heart pounding fast in his chest.

"S-Sakura?"

But she was gone, leaving a 'rock' and a panicking Sasuke behind.

* * *

**(A/N)**

**So what do you think?**

**should I continue this? xD idk I finally created an account to publish but I'm not sure**

**forgive me for mistakes English is not my native language :D**

**review please :3 also tell me if I should continue this**

**first fanfic ever c:**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N)**

**I'll be honest, I never expected those awesome reviews from you guys I was like asdsfgdfhjjf and I was smiling like an idiot for the rest of the day**

**So.. yeah let's talk about how awesome you guys are :D !**

**Here's chapter 2 ..sorry for the delay but I'm really really~ busy so I only have so little time to write :( I think this one is longer...**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_"Everything between us was a mistake from a beginning!" She cried. Anger was visible in her eyes. "I should have never met you!" They both knew that it was not true, but it is always like that._

_"Same here! I did not know how horrible it was going to be!" He said, almost as angry as she was. Their vacation should not have been like that. They were supposed to enjoy their time together just like every happy couple on their honeymoon. But she had to ruin that for both of them._

_He does not even remember how this started, but he assumed it was her who started it._

_"Well go away! I don't want to see you ever again." She turned her face away from him, folding her arms to her chest._

_"And I wish you never existed!" He shot back._

_._

_._

_._

_"Help me, Ishida!"_

_"Sumiko!" But before he could make a move, she was not there anymore._

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha stood unmoving, registering what had just happened.

He made a horrible mistake, and now Sakura was the one paying for it. She has just vanished because he was acting like an asshole.

No, he _**is**_ an asshole.

But things should not have been like that! Apparently it was not a bad joke, so he must bring her back now. Right, he must bring her back.

And how does he bring her back, again?

"Hey." He said to no one in particular, but his gaze was directed at the stone. His eyes sharpened and glared at it. His Sharingan and Rinnegan were long activated from the panic but they did not help at all. **" .Back."** He was threatening it. Really, Sasuke Uchiha was threatening a piece of rock -as he called it- but it did not matter at the moment. He was angry. That thing took away Sakura and he does not care whether it could hear him or not.

He angrily approached it. Somehow, he now sees it as an enemy.

"BRING HER BACK!" His right hand reached to land a punch to the stone, but it suddenly stopped.

_'This is notright.'_ A voice in his head said.

That thing took Sakura because she wished for it. Yes, he had to calm down now. He can bring her back. Just.. he just has to wish for it. After all, that is how it works. His breath started to slow down again. His anger now gone. Things can go back to normal. He took his time to calm down and lowered his arm.

He had been acting selfishly towards her and never thought he would lose her someday. His heart clenched. Memories of Itachi and his family appeared in his mind. He took slow deep breaths to calm himself down.

"I wish Sakura would come back." He said calmly. See? Things are much easier. He Should not have let his anger get the best of him. She would now come back, and he would embrace her saying how sorry he is and how scared he was. She would come back, and he would even go as far as telling her about his true feelings.

So why the hell isn't she coming back?!

"I wish... Sakura would come back." He repeated. Maybe the stone did not hear him.

Still, nothing happened. His anger was now returning and he was shaking violently. Why? What did he do wrong? Did he make a mistake? Should he apologize to the stone for not believing in it previously?

"WHY WON'T YOU BRING HER BACK?!" He started to act violently again.

"It's useless."

He paused. Slowly, he turned to the source of the voice. There stood the old beggar he saw at the entrance of the cave. He noticed how old and short the man looked. He could tell from his grey hair that he lived long enough to watch people come to this place and probably regret it after.

But that is not what he cares about at the moment.

"What?" His glare was directed at the old man who brought his hands behind his back. He looked calm. How dare he say it was useless? Who is he to decide that? Just thinking about it, this man looked so suspicious from the beginning.

"You can't bring someone who never existed back." The man stated, as if it was a fact.

"What?" Again, came Sasuke's reply. This man is trying to sound funny right? Sakura never existed? Please! Sasuke Uchiha was sure that Sakura Haruno existed. He was a witness of it really.

Or... is it about her wish? What..?.. Is the stone too dumb to grant a wish to a person and then forget about them again?

"You can't bring someone who never existed back." The man repeated. "You made that kind of wish, didn't you?"

Sasuke wanted to answer and say that it was her who made the wish, but it did not matter. It was all his fault in both ways.

Sasuke's breath became ragged. The words this man says mean that he cannot wish for her to come back and he did not like the sound of that. He closed his eyes painfully. Why? Why did this have to happen to him? Why does he always lose people who are dear to him?

Why is life so unfair?

The man walked up to him. He stopped by his side then bent down to pick something up from the ground. Slowly getting up, he stretched his hand, offering Sasuke a small piece of the stone. Sasuke stared at it, not knowing what exactly brought a piece of the stone on the ground.

"This is where your woman is." The man said, with a hint of sadness, handing Sasuke the stone, "Her soul is forever locked there."

Somehow, the word 'forever' seemed to echo in his head. Forever? Sakura's soul is forever locked? Sasuke frowned, staring at the small piece in his hand.

Forever.. forever..

"H-how do I bring her back?" Hopefully the man would tell him how. Please, God, let the man tell him.

"I already told you it's useless."

.

.

.

.

.

.

Snap!

"DON'T MESS WITH ME!" He hollered, clenching the stone in his hand. He really wanted to punch the man standing before him in the face, but unfortunately his right hand held the stone and the other is just missing.

Just as he was about to go into another level of anger, a voice coming from the direction of the entrance caught his ears.

"Teme!"

Was that Naruto?

Of course! He could recognize Naruto's voice among all the voices god has ever created. Some bits of relief crept to his heart. He whirled around and saw him with the Hyuga girl. Right, they were planning this all along. The Hyuga girl was not sick as Naruto claimed. They followed them right after he and Sakura left Konoha. It was all a cheap plan to convince him into accepting Sakura's proposal, and unfortunately, it worked.

This whole thing is Naruto's fault.

Or so he tried to convince himself.

He took fast, unsteady steps towards Naruto. The idiot seemed happy as ever. Sasuke did not know why Naruto was taking his girl to this twisted place. He does not know yet, but it does not matter. He would tell him now and they would figure something out together to bring Sakura back.

He opened his mouth but his voice got caught in his throat. It was hard for him to say it, "N-Naruto!.. S-Sakura... Sakura is...!" He could not bring himself to continue, it was painful, too painful.

"Sakura?.." The blond looked at him in confusion. ".. Who?.."

.

.

.

.

That was not the answer he was expecting.

Sasuke paused, then frowned. "What... what do you mean who?" Okay, Naruto, stop pretending now it is not funny.

"Teme, are you okay?" Naruto looked at his friend. He did not seem alright. He furrowed his brows in concern.

That, too, was not the answer he was expecting. "Yeah... yeah, of course I'm okay..." He whispered, a dark aura seemed to be surrounding his figure, "... why wouldn't I be?"

.

.

.

And his hand came in contact with Naruto's face, sending him to the welcoming walls. Hinata brought her hands to her mouth in shock. "N-Naruto-kun!" She rushed to his side helping him.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Sasuke cried. Pure loath was visible in his eyes. He did not know what was wrong with him, or what was wrong with Naruto. Or what was wrong with this place!

"What the hell was that for?" Naruto said, rubbing his iching cheek. He got up and his features hardened, he is serious now.

"You want to know what that was for? I'll tell you..." He angrily started."...Sakura is gone, Naruto! That thing took her and she is not coming back!.." He pointed at the huge stone, "..and you are standing here making jokes about it!"

"Sasuke, just who are you talking about?!" Now it was Naruto's turn to shout, "Who is that Sakura?!"

Sasuke frowned for the hundredth time.

"You don't know who Sakura is?" Sasuke's voice lost its confidence.

"Sasuk-"

"Our teammate, Naruto." He sounded unsure. Naruto does not know who Sakura is? Is it because of the wish?

But that will not stop him from trying. This is Naruto we are talking about. The boy got much closer to her throughout the time more than he ever was. He was the one that changed Pain's mind and saved Konoha from destruction. He saved the entire shinobi world in the fourth shinobi war.

Hell, he saved Sasuke Uchiha from darkness and brought his ass back to the village!

"Our teammate? Are you talking about Sai? What's wro-"

"No, Naruto, not Sai, Sai is your teammate not mine." He cut him off again. "I'm talking about Sakura, Sakura Haruno, my and your teammate, the one you gave those goddamn tickets to this twisted place!" He tried to knock the memory into his friend's head.

Nruto frowned, "Teme, you don't seem alright at all, we don't have another teammate, and I gave you an extra ticket to have some time to clear your head..."

"No.." So that is how things go when she is not there, "Here! ask this ma-" He was intending to let the old man speak for him, but there was no one besides the three of them. Strange.. the man he was talking to a moment earlier is gone. Did he slip off while he was talking to Naruto?"

Bastard!

"Sasuke-san.." Hinata looked at him with a hint of pity. No! Do not make that face! Sasuke Uchiha is not pathetic! "... you should have some rest. You have been acting stran-"

"JUST FORGET ABOUT IT!" And he ran past them heading to go outside. They think he is crazy? Alright! he will show them who really is crazy now. He hurried through the streets, heading to the hotel he and Sakura stayed at.

He ignored the strange looks he received from the female owner once he entered. He headed to the room he and Sakura shared.

They cannot change that.

Reaching the room, Sasukee pushed the door open violently. He did not even have to use the keys. He quickly searched the room with his eyes. Nothing seems to be out of place.

.

.

.

Except for the futons, or should he now say: futon. This is wrong, Sakura's futon was supposed to be lying next to his on the wooden floor, and he is sure that the worker females haven't removed it out of a fangirlish action. Sakura would have killed them.

And where is Sakura's annoying huge bag? He slowly entered, moving around the room. H was sure she put it next to the small closet.

She cannot have thrown it away!

He quickly went out, left the room, and rushed outside, stopping at the owner's desk. The middle aged woman blushed fiercely at the handsome man standing before her. This was Sasuke Uchiha of Konoha, the hero who put an end to the fourth shinobi war, along with his friend, Naruto Uzumaki-sama.

"H-how can I hel-"

"You remember her right?.." He cut her off, rushing with his words, ".. the woman that came with me in here."

The woman looked confused and paused for a second. She was about to say something when he spoke again.

"She came with me today to this place, with the special guests' tickets. She and I stayed in a room. She had pink hair. Sakura Haruno, the heroine of the fourth shinobi war."

"S-sir, I remember you very well.." She paused, blushing at her words. Sasuke, however, was starting to lose his patience. "..you came here alone."

That answer was more than enough to send him into another state of panic. This woman does not remember her either. He, again, ran to the room. He started to look for any trace Sakura left in the room, but he could not find any.

Defeated, he stopped.

"Oh my god.." He whispered to the empty room.

His mind slowly replayed the past hour. He could see what was happening. Sakura is now a memory, and he is the only one that remembers her, or should he say; once knew her. To everyone, she had never even existed.

That is right, there was no Sakura to begin with.

Sasuke felt like crying. His body could not hold his weight as he collapsed on the floor. "Sakura..." His eyes were staring down. His breath became short and fast, and small tears slid down his cheeks.

The almighty Sasuke Uchiha was crying.

He landed a punch on the floor causing small cracks in the fine wood, and then another, and another, until his hand bled. His mind started to register a pain inside of his hand. That seemed to catch his attention because he remembered the small piece of stone he was holding this whole time. The old man said that Sakura was supposed to be in here. It is the only proof of her existence, aside from himself.

Slowly, he opened his shaking hand, staring at the small stone with his clouded vision caused by his tears.

"S-sakura...you are in here right?" He desperately whispered, "..p-please... answer me."

He waited, and waited.

But he knew that he would not receive an answer, so he got up and searched for his bag.

He was going back to Konoha. Maybe, just maybe, he would find someone who remembers her there, or at least find something that leads him to a solution for this.

Once he finished packing his things, he hurried out of the room, running into Naruto for the second time that night. He stood unmoving for a moment, giving Naruto an angry look, then continued on his way, ignoring Naruto's calls for him and the owner's confused looks.

Walking through the streets, his mind suggested going back to the cave to find some answers, and maybe meet that mad man again. So he stopped and changed his way, heading to the cave. Once there, he caught sight of the old man, sitting with the same position and the same look on his face.

"You!" He called, catching the man's attention, "We haven't finished talking."

"Did you know that the sacred stone is often called 'The moon stone'?" Came the old man's auto reply.

Sasuke paused for a moment.

Just what is this man trying to say? Was he trying make him angry on purpose? He ignored him and proceeded with what he came to say.

"How did you know I came here with a woman?" Sasuke questioned. Well, he had a point.

"I did not," The man answered then furrowed his brows, "I just assumed."

However, that answer did not seem to satisfy Sasuke, so he frowned. How could this man assume such a thing? It does not make any sense. But, again, nothing made sense to Sasuke at all.

Hearing no response from the boy, the man got up and walked up to him, he put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder cutting his thoughts. His eyes once again held sadness.

"Go back to your life, son." He advised, "Either you repent for your mistake for the rest of your life or you go back and continue like nothing ever happened."

Sasuke froze at the man's words. Does he mean that there is no hope at all?

"N-no.." Sasuke whispered, more to himself than to the old man, the man sighed and turned around, walking back to his position and dropping on the floor again.

Sasuke was about to say something when he heard the man's voice again.

"Just hold the stone dear to your heart." And he said nothing more.

Expecting not to get any useful answers from the old man, Sasuke stood there staring at him for a few seconds then turned to leave again.

Konoha is where he would investigate the matter himself.

* * *

**(A/N)**

**So...tell me what you think :DD**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/n)**

**I want to say that I'm very sorry for the late update but I'm soooooooooooooo busy because of my studies and stuff and I barely have 4 hours a day for myself T^T**

**But I will try to update as soon as possible..**

**Thank you guys for ur support :D**

**Here's ch3 ^.^**

...

**~Chapter 3~**

...

Sasuke reached the gates of Konoha. His poncho swayed with his slow movements. The full moon was still hanging in the sky, and he assumed it was past midnight by the time he arrived. He calmly walked through the gates, ignoring the strange looks he received from the guards.

After all this time, he knows that a lot of people still cannot accept him back into the village. He is hated, feared, and even loathed. And some people still try to move their children away from him whenever he is seen ten feet away in the streets. But he is not affected, not even the slightest bit. He realizes that he deserves more than that. Also, all that matters to him the most is that his friends accepted him back, and his team have never lost faith in him throughout the years.

Including _her_.

Clearing his thoughts, he realized that he was standing in front of the Hokage tower reaching his destination. He sighed then slowly made his way inside.

* * *

"Hokage-sama!" Shizune called, entering the office without knocking and consequently, tearing Kakashi out of his thoughts. He turned his attention from the documents in his hands to the woman standing before him with the small pig, Ton Ton, in her hands.

"What is it, Shizune-san?" He asked. His eyes crinkled from the sides, showing that he was smiling friendly behind his mask. This woman has been working hard, even after Tsunade-sama stepped down from her position as Hokage.

"It's Sasuke Uchiha," Kakashi showed interest upon hearing the name, "He wants to see you."

Without asking for further explanation, he let Sasuke in.

Sasuke slowly walked in, Shizune walked past him then left the office, closing the door behind her and leaving Sasuke with the Hokage. Sasuke turned his attention to Kakashi.

"Kakashi," Sasuke started, "there's something I should tell you."

* * *

Naruto felt weird.

Something is wrong. He just feels it, and Sasuke has been acting strange since he met him in the sacred cave.

Who was that person Sasuke was talking about? Why does the name sound familiar? And why did Sasuke leave a while ago? He assumed he had gone back to Konoha.

Shaking his head, he got up from his sleeping position on the futon. He seemed so deep in thoughts when he heard Hinata's voice next to him.

"Naruto-kun," She slowly got up, "Are you okay?" Hinata was concerned, she could not sleep either because of Naruto's sour mood earlier.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," He replied a moment later. Hinata seemed to be expecting his next words. "I should go back."

Hinata knew why he wanted to go back to Konoha; he wanted some explanations for Sasuke's strange behavior, and she could not blame him for she felt it too, even if Sasuke was not a close person to her like he was with Naruto, but he is considered a friend. A small smile crept to her pretty face. Naruto was very considerate towards his friends, and that is the best thing about him.

"Then, I'm going back with you, Naruto-kun."

* * *

Kakashi stared at the small piece of stone in his former student's hand with shock, then, slowly, the expression disappeared. That story Sasuke had just told did not make any sense to him, but..

"Fine," His eyes darted to Sasuke, "I will look into this matter myself." He smiled.

"So are you believing me?" Sasuke seemed unsure. To be honest, he did not expect Kakashi to believe him.

"Your Story doesn't make sense to me," Kakashi answered, and Sasuke's expression turned into a frown, "but that doesn't mean it can't be true." He added. Kakashi was a wise man. If what Sasuke had just said was true, then he would not remember that girl he was talking about; therefore, he would not be able to make a judgement at that moment.

"Fine," Sasuke simply said, leaving the room without any further talk, avoiding any requests to hand Kakashi the stone.

Not yet.

* * *

Sasuke stood outside of the door, waiting patiently for a response. The seven seconds felt like eternity when the door opened slowly, revealing a blonde woman.

"You!.."

Mebuki Haruno's face seemed shocked upon seeing the Uchiha. She stared at him standing outside of her apartment, "I know you! I believe you are..." Then she realized how rude that sounded when she spoke again, "P-please come in." She opened the door further to let him in.

Sasuke slowly entered, scanning the small apartment with his eyes, searching for any trace of a pink haired girl living there, but as expected, he found none.

"Honey, do we have visitors?" Kizashi emerged from the kitchen. He nearly dropped the glass in his hand when he caught sight of the man standing in his house, "S-Sasuke Uchiha!" He was beyond shocked, "Why are you he-.. I mean, what a surprise! But why would Sasuke Uchiha visit us at this time?!"

If Sasuke had not been frustrated and horribly sad, he would have found Kizashi's expression comical. He was about to speak when Kizashi beat him to it,

"P-please have a seat," He said to the Uchiha then turned his face to his shocked wife, "Mebuki, please, bring something for our guest."

Sasuke assumed that the Harunos were not one of the people that hated him after his return. It seemed that they considered him a hero of the war, and he would not complain, they were nice people. Just like Sakura.

"There's no need for it," Sasuke calmly said, stopping the woman in her track, "I came here to speak with you."

Kizashi and Mebuki shared a confused look.

Why.. would Sasuke Uchiha, the hero of the fourth shinobi war, want to speak to them, just two normal citizens living peacefully in the village of Konoha?

Finding no reaction, Sasuke made his way to the small couch and took a seat, hinting for them to follow suit to make their talk more proper.

And immediately, they followed suit.

The room was silent for a couple of seconds, each side waiting for the other to start the conversation.

"Son," Mebuki started, the confusion not leaving her face, "What is it you want to talk about?" She stared at the Uchiha sitting with his arm resting on his hips, and immediately, the famous missing left arm caught her eyes. She believed that he had lost an arm during his fight in the fourth shinobi war, and thus, saving the entire shinobi world. Her gaze was focused on his arm when Sasuke's voice cut her train of thoughts.

"Do you.." Sasuke asked, shifting his gaze between Kizashi and Mebuki, "..by any chance, remember having a daughter named Sakura?"

Mebuki and Kizashi shared a knowing look. Sasuke could see their eyes holding a hint of sadness, and then they turned away from each other. Mebuki stared at her hands in her lap, while Kizashi put his hands on his knees. An awkward silence followed.

"Son," Kizashi answered seconds later, "we don't have a daughter." He sifted his gaze to his wife, then turned to Sasuke again, "Me and Mebuki haven't had any children.."

Again, silence filled the room. Sasuke could not bring himself to say that he was sorry.

He knew that they had had a daughter, but they completely forgot about her, so he would try to make them remember her.

"Sir," Sasuke spoke again, "please, remember well... does the name 'Sakura' ring any bell?" He tried to sound calm and hide his growing frustration within himself.

"Aside from the cherry blossom trees, I don't think it does." Came Kizashi's unsure reply.

Nodding slowly, Sasuke started again, "Sir, she was your daughter. She had pink hair, just like you, and green eyes, just like Mebuki-san."

Kizashi and Mebuki looked confused by Sasuke's words. Just what was he trying to say? They do not have a daughter for sure, so why was he saying such nonsense? Suddenly, the Uchiha's presence made them feel uneasy.

"Son," Came Kizashi's voice a moment later, "you must have made a mistake." He tried to reason with the Uchiha, "Whoever you are talking about is not our daughter for sure." He was making a point, but who else in the village -or in the world- had pink hair?

Sasuke fell silent. What they are saying is half true. They do not have a daughter now, and whatever he does, they will not remember her, but he was doing what had to be done. Her parents have the right to hear about her existence even if they would never remember her.

"I understand," Sasuke said, getting up, "Sorry for the disturbance I caused." He bowed to them, apologizing for his sudden visit, which made no sense to them at all. He hurried to the door and opened it himself.

Immediately, Kizashi and Mebuki got up and made their way to the Uchiha.

"I'm sorry." Mebuki held the door, apologizing for the misunderstanding that had happened. Or maybe it was that she felt guilty because she was not the mother Sasuke was talking about.

"Please, don't be." Sasuke said, "It was my mistake to begin with." It was not meant that he had mistaken them for being some girl's parents. He knew that they were her parents, but he actually was apologizing to them for being the reason that they had forgotten about their daughter.

He left the apartment without any more words and heard the sound of the door closing behind him.

* * *

Sasuke reached his apartment.

He had bought this place when he first returned from the war. After all, Konoha was his home, and of course he would one day return, but just when he is ready.

He closed the door behind him and headed to his bedroom, not bothering to turn on the lights. He opened the door to the room and paused for a couple of seconds.

The moonlight was illuminating the room and he did not like it. He hated the moon very much.

_"Did you know that the sacred stone is often called 'The moon stone'?"_

The old man's words ran through his mind. Here is another reason for him to hate the moon. He blamed it for taking Sakura away from him. It was the reason for all of this nonsense, and it is the reason for his frustration for losing Sakura.

Shaking his head, he threw his bag on the bed and carefully put the small stone on the nightstand. He started to take off his clothes and headed to take a shower. He was tired and sweaty and wanted to relieve the stress of the day and start thinking again for a way out of this.

Fifteen minutes later, he came out. His hair was damp. He grabbed a towel and started to dry his hair. He put on his shinobi pants then lied on his bed, staring at the ceiling and shifting his gaze to the navy walls, thinking about the past events and arranging his thoughts.

He stretched his arm to grab the small stone on the nightstand and held it before his eyes. Oh! How he missed her! He started to feel uneasy again and his stomach dropped.

He really wanted her back, but how? How is he supposed to bring someone who had never existed back? He tried everything possible, but no one remembers her, and probably people think he is crazy now.

He liked crazy.

Sasuke slowly got up from the bed and headed to the small window, holding the stone in the moonlight. It was sparkling beautifully, just like Sakura's eyes whenever she sees him. Although she tries to hide it from him, he notices, and he loves that look on her face.

He chuckled at the memory, staring at the stone.

Suddenly the stone glowed and emitted a bright light in Sasuke's hand. He was torn away from his thoughts and his eyes widened at the stone. Being startled, he tried not to drop it out of surprise.

What was happening? It seemed like a Déjà vu. The same thing happened when Sakura was taken heart started to beat in a fast rhythm and his hand shook.

Seconds later, everything stopped.

Sasuke frowned. What was that just now? He does not know. His heart was beating even more faster and his hand was still shaking.

Until he felt another presence in the room.

He quickly turned around and froze.

There she was standing before him. She was as confused as he was and seemed to be in a state of shock, just like when she had disappeared in the cave.

Sasuke's voice got caught in his throat.

SAKURA IS BACK!

But.. why does she look so...

..distant...?

.

.

.

"Sasuke-kun."

* * *

**(A/n)**

**Tell me what you think :3**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N)**

**Here I am, I should apologize every time for the late update so..**

**sorry T.T**

**Thank you guyz for the awesome reviews.. I'll try to update as fast as I can!**

**Oh and also forgive my mistakes it's not their fault.. you can blame me lol**

**Aaand I don't own Naruto, Kishimoto sensei does.. and i ain't even mad sasusaku is canon..**

**Anyways here's chapter 4! :D**

* * *

...

**~Chapter 4**~

...

.

.

_Tik.. Tok.. Tik.. Tok.._

Sasuke's mind was trying to register the situation.

_Tik.._

Sakura was standing right before him. The moon illuminating her beautiful, confused face, making her skin glow. Sasuke's feelings were mixed. He was beyond shocked. His heartbeat quickened even more and he could swear it would jump out of his chest. He heard her sweet voice ringing in his ear with her usual 'Sasuke-kun.' It was her! SHE IS BACK!

He wanted to approach her and embrace her.

_Tok.._

And that's exactly what he did.

"Sakura!" Sasuke rushed towards her. He really wanted to feel her warmth, to make sure she was there and it was not just a dream. He stretched his good arm to hold her-

_Tik.._

-only not to.

He frowned.

It was the second time this happened.

Sasuke's frozen body remained still for a few seconds. His brows furrowed.

Did Sakura somehow dodge him? No! It can't be! She wouldn't. Was it just his imagination? Was his mind playing some cheap tricks on him?

_Tok.._

Sasuke turned around to find Sakura standing where she was. No, he was not crazy thank god. She was staring at her hands, confusion still visible on her face. She was probably as confused as he was, trying to understand what had happened.

_Tik.._

_That damned clock! __**STOP IT!**_

Sasuke was trying to ignore everything around him. His frown deepened, and he carefully lifted his uncertain hand to caress her cheeks. Sakura's eyes drifted to him then closed. She was waiting -hoping- to feel his hand on her cheek.

But she did not.

And neither did he.

Sasuke's hand just went through her face.

"Oh god.." Sasuke whispered. He realized what had happened! His mixed feelings immediately turned into pure frustration. Just great! Sakura was standing before him, but she was not there. How? How could they be so close yet so distant?

But! It meant that there was hope, right? He could still somehow bring her back. He just needs to figure out how.

"Sasuke-kun." Came Sakura's voice again. Sasuke could tell that she understood their situation now. That is why her voice held such disappointment. He remembered that he needed to apologize to her, but would it make any difference? He desperately wanted to bring her back, and he will. He definitely will! He would do anything for the sake of it.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke was trying to prevent his emotions from reflecting on his face. He did not want his frustration to break him before her. He did not want her to feel how helpless he was and how incredibly useless he feels.

Sakura smiled, a sad smile, and Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. How could she smile in such situation? His hand was still hanging in the air, maybe hoping for some miracle to happen. Oh god! He felt so desperate to touch her.

"Don't be, Sasuke-kun." She said, and it made him feel guiltier. "I... I don't understand what's going on... "

Sasuke tried to explain everything to her. He opened his mouth, and it closed shut again by itself. It was not easy.

"You.." He tried to say but could not. Well, Sakura's words described him too. He did not know either, or maybe he did but thought it was too illogical to happen. He decided that he should tell her about her situation from the moment the words at the cave left her mouth.

He lowered his head, and his eyes traveled to her form. She was wearing a simple sleeveless white dress that reached only her knees. That was not what she had been wearing back in the cave. As far as he remembered, she wore a red kimono. The thought brought some sort of fear to him; was it really just her soul standing before him? So where was her body? Does that mean there was no hope at all?

"I.." Sasuke started again, shifting his eyes to hers. He held a determined look, ".. I will definitely bring you back! I swear." It was more to himself than it was to her.

"Sasu-"

A knock on the door cut their moment, Sasuke turned his eyes to the direction of the room door. He could feel a familiar chakra outside of his apartment.

It was Naruto.

Sasuke did not know why he held so much hatred toward his friend. Maybe because Naruto was the first person he encountered after what had happened in the cave, or maybe because he hated how Naruto simply forgot about Sakura just that easy.

But he knew that he should not blame him.

"Wait here." Sasuke told her, and she slowly nodded. Sasuke placed the small stone on the nightstand and walked out of the room. He headed to the door. He first needed to tell Naruto everything before he let him see her. Slowly, he opened the door to meet the eyes of the blond.

"Sasuke," Naruto said. His voice showed that he was serious, "We need to talk."

That sounded so demanding, but Sasuke let him in without saying a word. Naruto entered and immediately stared at Sasuke's blank face.

"About earlier, I think yo-"

"You should hear me out first, Naruto."

Naruto was surprised to hear that from Sasuke. He did not expect him to start that conversation, but he closed his mouth shut to hear what Sasuke had to say.

"About that cave.. " Sasuke started.

* * *

"Ne, Kizashi-kun," Mebuki Haruno said to her husband, who was lying on the bed next to her. She knew he was still awake. "Don't you feel something is wrong?" She did not need to turn around to face him, "I mean, what the boy said earlier..."

Kizashi moved to lie on his back. It seemed that he, too, was feeling uneasy.

"I don't know..." And he truly did not. What that kid had said earlier somehow brought some sort of doubt into him. Strangely, their apartment feels more lonely and spacious. Has it always been this way?

Something was missing.

* * *

Sasuke stared at his friend, who was now sitting on his small dark couch. He could not tell from his strange expression how he felt, but he could say that he was confused, and he did not know if Naruto believed a word of what he had said.

"T-teme..." Naruto did not know what to say, so nothing more came out of his mouth. How should he respond to that?

Sasuke kept telling himself that he should not blame him.

Fortunately, Sakura emerged from his room. She seemed to be feeling uneasy. She must have heard him telling Naruto everything. She must have known what was going on.

She must have known that no one remembers her at all.

"N-Naruto," She was afraid of how Naruto would react once he saw her. That is why her voice was barely above a whisper.

However, Naruto showed no sign of paying attention her. He was still so deep in his thoughts.

Sasuke felt that something was wrong.

"Naruto.." She called again, but with no avail.

Could it be..

Another realization flicked in Sasuke's mind.

It can't be..

Sasuke's eyes shifted to Sakura. She moved to stand before Naruto, calling him again, but he would not answer. Horror started to creep to her face. She moved a hand in front of Naruto's face.

Sakura was on the verge of crying. Sasuke could see it, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest. He hated to see her cry, but he was the one that made her cry. He was the one to be blamed.

"Naruto," Sasuke broke the 'what seemed to be silence', "You should leave." He did not want Naruto to stay any moment longer. He should pay his attention to Sakura because needed to comfort her, and Naruto's presence was not helping.

Naruto was about to object, saying that they should continue that strange story, but Sasuke's voice beat his.

"I will be fine, Naruto. Just leave, I just want to clear my mind."

Naruto seemed to be convinced because after a few seconds, he got up from his sitting position and slowly headed to the door again.

"Fine, but it's not over yet." Naruto's eyes pierced through Sasuke's, just to make sure that they would continue this later.

Sasuke said nothing. He followed Naruto with his eyes till he got out and closed the door behind him.

Immediately he approached Sakura, who was silently crying. He wanted to hold her and comfort her, but how could he when he was the reason for her tears? How could he when he was the one who made her feel that pain?

Besides, it is not like he could hold her anyway.

Sasuke watched as Sakura wiped her tears with her hands and lowered her head then, noticed what she was wearing, but it did not seem to surprise her at all. It was the least surprising thing she saw that day. She lifted her head to meet Sasuke's eyes and smiled gently, hoping to ease his pain. And Sasuke felt angry for it. She was trying to make him feel less guilty. Her smile conveyed the message: 'It's not Sasuke-kun's fault.', but he knew it was his fault. She should stop making excuses for him.

He glanced at the annoying clock hanging on the wall.

Oh, that reminds him...

_Tik.._

He turned his eyes back to her. His gaze held seriousness.

"Sakura, what do you remember after... what had happened?"

Sakura turned to him and bit her lower lip, a habit that she used to make when she was thinking or concentrating. Sasuke found that habit a bit cute of her. He actually never thought he would find something to call cute, but there was Sakura.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember anything." She answered, lowering her head, a sign of loss and.. guilt? And just then, Sasuke realized that he was good at reading her.

Life is unfair.

"It's fine.." He said, "It's not your fault." Yeah, it was his.

A comfortable silence followed, leaving both of them to their inner thoughts until Sakura's voice broke it.

"Is it the same with everyone?" It took Sasuke a moment to understand what she meant, and when he did, guilt started to form in his heart, again, for the hundredth time that day.

"I met Kakashi and your.." It took him a moment to finish it. He felt ashamed to say it, "..parents." Yeah, he felt horrible, "I'm sorry.." He added.

"Oh.." She sounded disappointed, and it caught his attention.

"Look, you just wait! I will not leave it like that!" Sasuke tried to ease her disappointment. He did not want to see her like that.

He watched as she shook her head then lifted her gaze to meet his onyx eyes. The look she held. It felt so... distant. She was painfully beautiful. Why does he have to think of this right now? He blinked, shaking off his thoughts. He waited patiently for her to say something.

"You don't have to, you know.."

Sasuke blinked.

What?

He frowned.

Was she trying to be funny? What kind of a sane person says that? Does she ever doubt him? Was she trying not to bother him? What the hell! That's annoying. She should stop being so insecure around him! He is not that horrible kind of man..

Or maybe he was.

"Stop it." Sasuke said through gritted teeth. He was feeling angry, and Sakura immediately understood it.

Something seemed to have caught Sakura's eyes behind Sasuke's form. She tore their eye contact to walk to the bedroom again, and he followed her with his gaze until she stopped before the small cabinet. On the cabinet, was the picture of the old team seven.

Oh.

Naruto and Sakura gave him that picture once he returned to Konoha after the war.

Sakura moved her uncertain hands to hold the small picture frame, and Sasuke carefully watched. Could she touch it?

She felt the material in her small hands, a sigh of relief escaped her mouth. At least she could hold something. She was not completely a ghost.

Sasuke moved to stand next to her and stared at the picture in her hands. What he saw was unexpected, but why wasn't he surprised?

There, in the -what Sasuke refused to call- picture of team seven, was the members of team; Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi... and Sakura? No, she was not in the picture.

A team of three? Two Genin boys and a Jonin leader? Are you kidding me? The story that stone made is hilarious.

He stole a glance at Sakura, who looked somewhat shocked at the picture frame, and he could not blame her. Anything could be expected of this twisted change of events, but this! Their picture together, as a team, AS A FAMILY! And then suddenly, Sakura was not included anymore.

Life is unfair.

"Come with me." Sasuke said, stealing Sakura's attention. He did not want her to sink deeper in her thoughts and start crying again. He jerked his head towards her, and she looked at him, surprised and confused.

"To where?" She asked.

"We are going to research into... this." He knew the only logical and somewhat useful place to find anything about the whole thing. Once Sakura nodded, Sasuke hurried to the door to leave his apartment. he expected her to follow him, but her voice stopped him.

"W-Wait Sasuke-kun!" He turned to her again, confused by her sudden... change of mind? Sasuke watched as a cute blush adorned her cheeks and she looked away. She rubbed her hand together shyly, "A-Are you going to go out like that?.." She peeked at him for a mere second to make her point.

Sasuke looked down at his form.. oh.. He was still shirtless from the shower, he glanced at her again and smirked proudly. Yeah, he was the only one capable of making her that way.

Sasuke quickly returned to his room to put on a simple shirt then came back out. He found Sakura holding the small stone in her hands.

"Is that where I am?" She asked.

He walked up to her and took the stone from her hands. She looked up at him and saw the sad look on his face.

"Aa, but you're not staying for too long." He answered, "Let's go now."

And she smiled warmly at the silent promise.

* * *

Their walk together was a bit awkward, the last time they walked together ended up horribly, and Sasuke's mind kept reminding him of that. He just wished he could go back in time and make things better with her, but it was too late. He glanced at her. He could tell that she felt uneasy too, but nothing was done to ease the thought until they reached their destination.

Sakura was surprised that Sasuke was permitted to enter Konoha's classified library, but then he had told Kakashi about everything, so she assumed that Kakashi gave him the permission to, and he had the access to every secret scroll there. Once they were in, Sasuke began searching for a useful scroll containing any hint, a stone, a rock, anything!

Sasuke sat on the wooden chair. He had a bunch of books and scrolls on the table in front of him. He watched as Sakura sat in front of him and started to open a scroll. He did not want to involve her in what he decided to do, but she was involved whether he wanted it or not.

"You don't have to do that, I will do it myself." He said.

Sakura lifted her eyes to meet his intense gaze.

"No, I'm the one involved." She said, "And I wouldn't leave Sasuke-kun do all the job for me." And she smiled, again, that smile.

Why did she make it sound like he was just making her a favor? He was the one responsible for it!

However, Sasuke said nothing. He grabbed a scroll and opened it, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they would find anything to give him a little bit of hope.

He wished for it more than she did.

* * *

**(A/N)**

**I'm kinda confused here**

**Is the other genre for the story supposed to be angst? cuz I read the way I write and be like: wow that's hilarious...**

**I thought I should ask you :'D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Update: I am terribly sorry. I know it's like a year since I last updated and I feel terrible about myself. Forgive me I know how bad it is to wait. Again, it's college and I got busy and left my home city and aargh! I hate making excuses.**

**The only way you can forgive me is update right? :D **

**This chapter is re-uploaded so that you guys can see this and know that I'm continuing this. I said I'm not abandoning this story (even after a year lol) **

**Previous chapters are edited.**

**Any ways. Here's ch 05 again and the next will be uploaded soon.**

* * *

…

**Chapter 5**

…

Sasuke opened his eyes, blinking once, twice...

Where was he again? His eyes took their time to adjust to the light in the… room? They started to wander, books, books...

Yes! He was in the library! He had been searching for something before he fell asleep. Lifting his head from the table, he caught the sight of Sakura's unique hair. Shewas sleeping peacefully on the other side of the table. Her eyes were closed and her hair was messed.

Right, she was with him.

Sasuke lifted his hand unconsciously to stroke her silky hair. It was so smooth that he could not even touch it at all. His hand just went through it...

What the hell?!

Oh...

Defeated, Sasuke withdrew his hand and glanced at the clock, _'1:_45', how long have they been searching yesterday? He did not realize it when he fell asleep, and Sakura must have been tired she fell asleep too.

That meant that she's alive! See! SEE!

Sasuke lifted his upper body, stretching in process, _'Damn this sleeping position hurts like hell!'_ He thought. Sasuke would not recommend sleeping in a library after spending the whole night searching for some information about a certain stone to help a certain pink haired kunoichi.

Wait…. is that even possible?

His head snapped when a puff of smoke appeared in front of them… or physically, him, but he immediately relaxed, knowing who exactly was standing before them…

… or physically, him.

"Yo!" Kakashi said his usual word, greeting Sasuke, and sasuke could tell that he was smiling behind his annoying mask.

Sasuke said nothing, just as usual. He was expecting that Kakashi's appearance had a purpose and he would tell him that he had gathered some useful information about the stone. He had been searching the day before and he found nothing, and honestly, he was very frustrated.

But that did not mean he was giving up.

Noticing Sasuke's anticipating look, Kakashi sighed. He knew that Sasuke was waiting for him to say what he came for, and was hoping that he had found something.

"I've sent an Anbu team yesterday to investigate that stone," Kakashi started, "and as expected, they found nothing strange about it, even the people in the village implied that their wishes were never granted. However, they still believe in it." Sasuke's expression was of disappointment upon hearing Kakashi's words, but he expected that so no surprise there.

But still...

Sasuke frowned, "Did you ask that man..?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow "What man?" he asked.

Sasuke paused. He asked that man himself and was certain he knew something, but the man did not provide him with any useful piece of information, so he did not think that he would tell a team of Anbu.

Defeated, he answered, "Never mind."

Kakashi smiled, "You have been searching all night yesterday, I see." he pointed out. "Did you find anything?"

"No."

"I see," Kakashi said, with a hint of… disappointment? Why? Confusion swept across Sasuke's face when he noticed Kakashi's uneasiness saying the next words, "Sasuke, about that person… what kind of person was she?"

A lot of words ran in Sasuke's head, he wanted to express them all, even though he was not the best at saying such was about to answer when he heard the familiar shriek of Sakura.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Sasuke was startled and whipped his head towards Sakura, "Sa-.." Sasuke blurted without thinking, but he stopped himself before he could continue. The act did not go unnoticed by Kakashi.

"Is something wrong?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke turned to Kakashi again, and Sakura seemed to absorb in the situation, "No." Sasuke replied, "I-It's nothing." He tried hard to maintain his stoic face.

Kakashi glanced at the -what he thought to be- empty seat. His eyes moved to the table, and then he looked Sasuke in the eyes. Sasuke was feeling nervous, maybe Kakashi doubted something, _'does he think I'm crazy now?'_ he thought.

However, Kakashi smiled again, "Okay then, I should leave now."

Sasuke gulped, "Aa." and Kakashi was gone with a puff of smoke.

Sasuke sighed in relief. Maybe Kakashi had not noticed anything and he was just overanalyzing it. He glanced at Sakura to see her awkward smile. He smirked.

"I shouldn't be talking to you in public otherwise people will think I'm crazy."

Sakura giggled, "I thought so too."

Sasuke turned his attention to the books and scrolls lying in front of him on the table. He ran his hand through his messy hair, "We should continue." He said.

Sakura was dumbfounded, "Eh?" she ran her eyes back and forth between Sasuke and the messy table, "N-No! You don't have to overdo it! We can continue this later. You have been searching all night until you fell asleep and-"

"Sakura," Sasuke cut her off, "I'm not overdoing it, I'm doing what I have to do." he stated.

"But..." She tried to reason with him, "Look, Sasuke-kun, we can continue this later. You should go home and have something to eat first. I'm not going anywhere." She kind of had a point.

Sasuke was about to argue back when his stomach made noise. When was the last time he ate something? He could not deny he was hungry and his stomach tried to point that out and take Sakura's side.

Traitor!

Sighing in defeat, Sasuke muttered, "Fine."

* * *

Sasuke opened the door of his apartment and entered, followed by Sakura. He closed the door again using his foot as his hand was occupied by the bag of food he had just bought on his way home. He placed the bag on the kitchen table and proceeded to take out its contents.

"Sasuke-kun, why don't you cook your food? Fast food isn't always healthy you know." Sakura said, taking a seat on one of the chairs.

Once Sasuke finished. He took a seat in front of her, "It's easier this way." He motioned to his missing arm. It is true, why cook your food when you have a missing arm? Fast food is always your friend, especially when you have no time to eat.

He watched as Sakura's mouth formed an 'o' understanding his… handicap.

Sasuke started eating. He knew he was hungry but he did not know he was _that _hungry. He turned to Sakura who was watching him amusingly, and a thought popped in his head.

"Do you want some?" he offered, and Sakura looked taken aback.

She hesitated for a moment when she said, "No, I… don't think I feel hungry… at all."

Sasuke frowned, "But you were sleeping earlier, so your body has its needs."

"I don't think I slept because I needed to, I didn't realize I slept when I was watchi-" she cut her self off. Sasuke frowned again, "I kind of was surprised when you slept so I was watching you and was mesmerized for a moment and I didn't realize I fell asleep…" She mumbled awkwardly, and a blush crept to her cheeks, which Sasuke thought was cute by the way.

An awkward silence followed.

"Aa." Sasuke simply said. He continued to eat in silence. He somewhat felt guilty for doing whatever he wanted to while giving Sakura a hard time. There he was, eating in front of her while knowing that she could not. Sasuke did not know how he should feel about this other than guilty.

And he was fine with it.

* * *

Tsunade sighed for the hundredth time.

A pile of papers was lying in front of her waiting to be signed. Just when she stepped down from her position as Hokage she thought that this boring job would be over, but Konoha's hospital had other plans for her. She took a sip of her Sake. It is true she had a job to do but it will not stop her from drinking. Old habits die hard. When she was about to start her work, a knock on the door startled her.

"Come in." Tsunade called. The door opened to reveal a nurse. Tsunade knew this girl. She was new, and she could not remember her name.

"Taunade-sama, we are having a problem!" Mei exclaimed, yes Tsunade remembered, her name was Mei. "An injured shinobi is on the verge of death and our best doctors are failing to save him."

"What!" Tsunade shrieked, standing up. "How can that be?! Who is in charge of the patient?" she asked, leaving her office being followed by Mei. Receiving the 'no one' answer, Tsunade's anger rose. A patient with no doctor to attend to? That had never happened in the history of Konoha's hospital since she was Hokage, she was sure that a doctor skipped their shift. She demanded the room number and took fast steps towards it. Their best doctors could not save a life, not even her student whom she was proud of….

Tsunade frowned, what student? She did no have a student other than Shizune, and it was not even her shift. For a second there, her mind was convinced that she had one, but the thought was dismissed instantly. She shook her head. Something was wrong with her.

Maybe it was just the influence of alcohol.

* * *

The shinobi was saved thanks to Tsunade. He was stabbed by a poisonous kunai, the poison was unknown to the doctors in the hospitals, and they could not do anything about it. It was a shame, really. They lacked talent and experience to find out about the poison and make the right antidote, so they stood there not knowing what to do other than ask their savior –aka Tsunade-sama. She was known for that talent. A talent she never found in anyone at all.

Or so she thought.

She entered her office and noticed the presence of another person. There sat Sasuke Uchiha with his usual blank face. Tsunade sighed and closed the door. She headed to hear office and sat on her chair.

"What exactly brings Sasuke Uchiha to my office?"

"What exactly brings Sasuke Uchiha to my office?" Tsunade asked, shuffling through her paperwork. Sasuke did not expect a warm welcome anyway, so he said nothing, expecting her to continue, "Did you finally decide to have your artificial arm?" she asked, not sparing him a look, but Sasuke knew that it was her way of speaking to people so he did not feel offended.

"No, I came here to ask you a question." Sasuke answered, which made Tsunade pause her work and pay more attention to him. It felt weird for Sasuke too as he never thought he would have a reason to have a conversation with The Fifth.

"I'm listening."

"Why haven't you had an apprentice up till now?" Sasuke asked, feeling stupid to ask such a wrong question and expecting a very wrong answer.

"I.." Tsunade furrowed her brows as of thinking, " I don't think I have found it yet," She said, "the will of fire that is."

"The person, or the will of fire?" he asked.

The question sent Tsunade into deep thinking, and Sasuke could notice that.

"The person…" she answered with an atom of uncertainty.

That is all Sasuke needed to know before he excused himself and left, with Sakura's invisible presence tailing behind him.

* * *

Sasuke lied in his bed staring at the ceiling with Sakura next to him and probably doing the same. He uncovered a part of the truth, and maybe a part of the solution. Sakura might have noticed it too as she was in the same state of sadness, mixed with numerable beams of hope. He clutched the bed sheets in frustration. He had never thought that something like that would happen, and he would be the cause of it….

"Sasuke-kun…" Her voice caught his attention, and it made him suspect that she could read his mind. Whenever he sank in his thoughts, and feelings of guilt started to rise in his heart, she would know it, and she would hurt too, something he hated very much. He noticed when her hand, right next to his, clutched the sheets too.

Maybe all he could do then is imagine that it was her hand he was holding.

'_Right now, they might have forgotten about her, but they would never forget the bonds they had with her.'_

'_It's not memories that connect her to them; but bonds of love do.'_

* * *

_"You've become very old." she mused, as she started tracing the lines of wrinkles on his face with her finger, pretending to be able to touch his face._

_"And you are still as beautiful as ever." he said, locking his eyes with hers and admiring her beauty, a beauty he had lost because he had been foolish back then._

_His words made her smile, a beautiful smile, he noted. It made his heart flutter in his chest. His feelings for her would never change, and hers would not change either._

_That is all what they had exchanged that night, before the beauty of the moonlight spoke of their hearts._

* * *

**(A/N) Pretty lame I know I rushed it because it had been so long and guilt was consuming me D: just like Sasuke lol..**

**I need to correct this later….**

**Again, please tell me what you think :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N) cmon guys! It's obviously not Sasuke who is old! Why would I write the story if I was to make it that tragic **** Think again! I think I've mentioned them before :D**

**I would like to thank my readers for being patient with the horrible me who delayed this for a whole year!**

**I think there are two or three chapters remaining..**

**Here's a very short chapter idk why.. I think I lost my touch (if I had any lol)**

* * *

**Chapter 06**

"_Why won't you just give up?" she asked once._

"_Just how could I?" he replied, "I love you so much it hurts."_

* * *

Several days have passed since the incident. Sasuke and Sakura have been trying to find answers but they find none. The Uchiha is feeling more and more guilty as time goes by, but he fakes strength in front of Sakura in order not to worry her.

Naruto now knows everything about his situation, and the future Hokage looks torn and confused. Sasuke does not blame him. On the contrary, he is thankful that the boy is trying to help him in his situation. The thoughts kept running in Naruto's head over the past three weeks. He is not the one to think, but he still does, and no matter how much he tries, he does not have a memory of a pink haired team mate.  
Sasuke wishes for a miracle to happen, or at least a ray of hope so he could cling to it.

After three weeks, he finally starts to wonder why Kakashi still has not contacted him. Did he still find nothing?

Sasuke did not think it over when he decided to leave his apartment and head to the Hokaage tower again.

* * *

Kizashi woke up to the sound of his wife's cry.

"Wha- what- what is it? What's going on?" he blurted as he got up from his sleep. He turned to his wife who was shaking violently. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was hardly breathing. It looked like she had woken up from a nightmare.

Kizashi was scared for life once he saw the state his wife was in, so he put his arms around her and assumed it was a bad dream, "Mebuki-chan, what happened?" he worriedly asked. Strange. His wife has never had nightmares this bad before. She would not even react this way if she had one. He kept whispering comforting things in her ear and tried to calm her down.

Once her arms loosened around him a little and her cries faded, Kizashi spoke again. "Mebuki-chan, are you okay?"

She tried to calm her breath before she answered him, "I-I keep s-seeing things, Kizashi." Her voice came hoarse from the crying.

Kizashi rubbed her back slowly. Now he is _more_ interested to hear what she has to say, "I keep seeing th-this girl with pink hair." Kizashi's eyes widened slowly, but she could not see him for her head was resting on his chest. "She is everywhere," now her voice cracks again, "I picture her p-playing around the house, and then sh-she's older and holding a kunai in her hand, then small again and smiling at me at the door step, then old again and wrapped up in a kind of book."

If Mebuki were to lift her head and steal a look at her husband, she would notice the shock written all over his face…

Ever since the Uchiha came to their house, it has been gloomy and cold, Kizashi thought bitterly. It looks like he is not the only one who feels the same.

"Go back to sleep, darling. It was just a bad dream." He tries to fake it.

He does not tell her he has been having the same visions.

* * *

"My beloved former student is here to visit me?" Kakashi says, teasing Sasuke and smiling behind his mysterious mask.

Sasuke, on the other hand, is not amused. He was agitated at the foreign welcome he received from his teacher. His face twitches several times before he speaks, "You know exactly why I'm here. Have you found anything new about the stone?"

"What stone?"

Sasuke grunted, "Kakashi, you know I have no time to play these games again."

"What are you talking about Sasuke?" Kakashi spoke again, but this time, something felt strange about him. Sasuke felt it. Something was strange.

A knock was heard on the door before a masked Anbu entered. He bowed to the Hokage, "Hokage-sama, the hideout of the insurgents has been found. We are waiting for the orders."

Kakashi frowned, "It has been three weeks." he spoke calmly, "Infiltrate it already."

Kakashi was serious.

* * *

"Oi, Naruto!" Kiba calls. Naruto had to admit that Kiba's invitation to have lunch at Ichiraku's was brilliant. He, of course, could not refuse it.

"So you are the most successful out of all the guys who actually manages to have a steady relationship with a girl," Kiba started, blushing, " and I want to have you tell me about it so… uhm… you know.. hook up with Tamaki-chan." he lied. The other guys actually rejected him because they were busy. Except for Shikamaru. Shikamaru is just too lazy to hear his rant about girlfriends, thinking it would be 'troublesome'.

Naruto was too mesmerized by the bowl of ramen in front of his face to pay attention. Huge stars were formed in his eyes, and Kiba started to regret his decision. "You see, Kiba, it's all about the charms." Naruto started, not taking his eyes off the food, "You just have to be incredibly handsome and sexy as I am."

.

.

Smack.

"What the hell was that for?!" Naruto brought his hands to his head.

"You idiot!" Kiba lost his patience, "Just give me a useful piece of advice."

"I don't know, man. Hinata has always loved me, and I, too, love her, so it just happened!" Naruto whined.

"So you suddenly realized that Hinata was in love with you then suddenly decided to hook up with her? What the fuck, man!"

"Yes! At first I could not see it, but then I felt it!"

"That 'at first' took you like twelve fuckin' years y'know! You're an idiot!"

"I'm not an idiot! I just couldn't notice because I had a crush on Sa-….."

Naruto did not-could not- finish the sentence.

"You had a crush on?" Kiba asked.

"I had a crush on..." he tried again, this time. thinking deeply as if he was trying to remember a very important thing he missed, "on…."

"What the fuck!" Kiba exclaimed, "You don't even remember whom you crushed on? You really are an idiot!"

"I am not an idiot!" he shot back and then turned serious, "Strange," Naruto was still deep in thought, "I know I had a crush on someone. For a moment, I thought I knew her." He lifted his face, only to find that Kiba was staring at him as if he grew two heads.

* * *

Sasuke slammed the door.

Sakura was alerted when the Uchiha entered the apartment. She quickly got up and ran up to him, "Sasuke-kun, I have been searching in these scrolls for hours but still I found nothing." she spoke, " I was thinking that maybe we should look somewh-…."

Her voice faded.

"Sasuke-kun… w-what's wrong." The deep frown on Sasuke's face made Sakura worry. He snapped his head to meet her gaze with his flaring red eyes. "Did something happen?" He does not answer her.

Sakura is silent.

She lowers her head until she hears him talk, "It's nothing, Sakura." he lies as he heads to the shower, "I just need to clear my mind."

Ignoring Sakura's sad look, Sasuke walks to the bathroom and closes the door behind him. He grumpily takes off his clothes and steps into the shower, letting the warm water relax him.

Or so he tries. He punches the wall in frustration.

No matter what he does or what happens, the stone keeps on ruining everything. Events change. Things never happened happen! Now Sasuke is beyond furious. He feels he is in a hard challenge, and he is afraid he will not stand a chance.

* * *

Sakura does not believe Sasuke. She knows he is hiding something from her but she does not ask any further questions.

She slowly makes her way to his room to stare at the picture of team seven. Emotions come flooding to her head again, and bits of her hope start to shatter. Trying not to show weakness, she gently dries her overflowing tears. After regaining her composure, she moves a hand to hold the picture frame.

Three seconds and the frame slips and falls.

Panicking, Sakura is startled. She quickly crouches and tries to lift it off the floor, but it keeps slipping from her hands, or rather_, through_ her hands.

Sakura looks at her hands in a mix of confusion and fear.

She is flickering.

* * *

"_Do you think they will have the same fate like us?" she asks._

_The old man does not take his eyes off the starry sky, "I don't know," he says, "I hope some miracle will happen to them," he sounds sincere and honest, "I wish something would change this time."_

* * *

**(A/N) Kiba is funny.**

**Tell me what you think! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm back again! Sorry for being late  
Thank you for the reviews, everyone, they always make me happy and encourage me to update as soon as I can! You are awesome, and I LOVE YOU! :D**

**So here's chapter 07 which is the one before the one before the final one….. whoa**

**This is an extremely long chapter. I don't know why or how but it just happened. **

**So prepare yourself to cry!... I guess…**

* * *

**Chapter 07**

"_Are you okay?" she asks. Her tone is obviously worried and scared as she stares at the old man clutching his heart. _

"_It's nothing," he replies, "I am just tired. That's all."_

_The woman lowers her head. Her long, silky hair covers her face, and he can see her pouting through it. "Look at me," he says, and she complies. He takes his time to mesmerize her young and beautiful features, "I have always loved you, and you know that, right?" _

_She frantically nods. Tears start streaming down her face._

"_Thank God," he says, "You are so beautiful." his heart clenches._

"_I love you." she says, moving a hand to hang beside his face._

_The man is now in tears. He tries, but he cannot hold them back._

"_I'm craving for this touch." He hoarsely whispers._

* * *

Sasuke is sitting in his bed.

Sun rays have pierced his eyes, waking him up, in his room, in his apartment, in Konoha.

He takes few moments to process this information. Frowning deeply, a grunt escapes his lips as he rubs his temple. The covers settle at his torso to surround his shirtless form.

'_Why am I still here?'_ he thinks.

He **was** supposed to be travelling now. He **was not** supposed to be spending his time in Konoha. How long has it been? A month? He mostly never spent more than a week in Konoha before he left again to resume his road of redemption.

Shaking his head, he removes himself from the covers and stands up. Confusion and utter disbelief instantly make him angry and frustrated at the same time, and he still glares distantly at nothing in particular. Something does not feel right. There is something he really has to remember, but he does not know what it is. Something is missing.

Just as he was about to make his way toward the bathroom. A **beautiful** green stone on the cabinet attracts his eyes, and he spend about thirty seconds staring at it. Unconsciously, his legs move towards it as he moves his arm to grasp it, and he frowns as if he is thinking deeply. 'What is this?' is what his mind keeps repeating.

The room's door opens and Sasuke is wildly alarmed. He spins around in the blink of an eye and takes the fighting stance with one thought on his mind: 'I live alone.'. But it is something he does not expect. A pink-haired woman with a similar confused and shocked expression on her face.

It takes Sasuke a minute to comprehend the situation. His mind screams that this is what he does not remember. Gradually, memories come flooding back to his head. Sakura Haruno, his teammate, the girl he is in love with is in his house. Why? Because of a wish she made earlier, and now everybody thinks she never existed. He managed to summon her soul using the very same stone he is holding in his hand.

"S-Sakura…"

"Is something wrong, Sasuke-kun?" is what she asks.

Sasuke's eyes slowly widen, "Oh my God," he breathes out. His form begins relaxes as he assimilates what is before his eyes. "Oh my God. Sakura."

Never had he ever thought that he would ever forget about her, like everybody else.

"Wh-what is it?!" Sakura frantically checks her surrounding, fearing that something happened, but she does not know what it is. Sasuke has thrown her in a state of panic and she does not even know what to think of or how to think.

Sasuke grunts as he collapses on the floor. He brings his fisted hand to his head and clenches his eyes, hoping that Sakura could not read through him and that she would not notice what he has experienced a moment ago. He does not answer as she runs to him and asks what is wrong. Then she slowly sits beside him on the floor with a concerned expression on her face.

"Are you not feeling okay? Are you sick?" she keeps bombarding him with questions, to which he does not answer. What could come out of his mouth are small grunts and 'hns'. He opens his eyes to look at her and see the tears that are threatening to fall from her eyes, so he fakes half a smile just to reassure her.

"It's nothing," he softly says, "It's just I feel a little dizzy that's all." He watches as her expression turns from concern to doubt, then to concern again, and he understands the way she is feeling now, but he does not dare to ease her conflict, so he secretly hopes that she will buy his lame excuse.

"Are you hiding something from me, Sasuke-kun?"

_She sounds like a concerned wife_, Sasuke thinks amusingly. However, the thought still sounds strangely warm. He smirks as he casually stands up and looks down to the pink-haired woman. "What kind of though is that?" he muses.

Sakura, embarrassed, blushes as she looks away. Sasuke had to admit that the sight looks sort of funny and cute from his view. "That's because you are not telling me anything. You must be exhausted because of this heavy burden, and I'm not asking you to stop, but I'm asking you, **please**, Sasuke-kun, you have to take a break, please!" she now is starting to sound desperate, and Sasuke does not want that.

His heart and hand clench, and his face hardens. "I will," he reassures her, "I promise I will."

* * *

"Teme!" his best friend's voice tore him from the book he was leafing through. Irritated, Sasuke looks up to an astonished and strangely hyperactive Naruto. 'I have a bad feeling about this.' he thinks. The dobe must be having plans, lame plans, for him, and honestly, he is not interested at all because who has time for this shit when he has other important stuff to look through?

"Wow, Teme! I never thought I would find you in the library," that is how Naruto decides to begin his -what Sasuke would call- boring intrusion, "Since when have you started this kind of hobby? I heard you come here often." Naruto asks sheepishly, and Sasuke is starting to have the usual Naruto Headache (a medical condition he has discovered, in which you experience an unprecedented severe headache whenever Naruto Uzumaki speaks).

Sasuke sighs, "What is it, dobe?" he tries to get to the core of the conversation as he continues his 'leafing job'.

Naruto 'blehs' at his friend's reaction. "Tch, what a boring guy. Anyway, guess what night it is!" Naruto's eyes beam again. Sasuke is about to discover why he had that bad feeling earlier.

"I don't know, and I'm not interested." He professionally closes the book and stands up to search another one on the shelf.

Naruto, however, is not affected one bit, so he continues, "It's the guys' night! And you are definitely coming with us, Teme." He points a finger to warn the Uchiha, who seems to have a stick up his ass.

"No."

As soon as it came out of his mouth, Sasuke heard Sakura gasp, but he did not turn for he knew what she was about to say, "You should go, Sasuke-kun!"

"Teme! You are coming! Besides, what are you doing in a boring place like this? It's going to be much more fun in the bar than here!"

"No." Again, it came out, but it was actually intended to be an answer to Sakura.

"Well, why not!"  
"Well, why not?!"

Sasuke sighed as he heard them both exclaim in unison. He took a specific book and sat himself own again, leafing through the book in the same previous manner. "I'm busy. I have things to do." That, too, was meant to answer Sakura's question; he did not care for the dobe's feelings.

Naruto scowls, "Whatever, teme, but believe me, you'll miss a lot." he folds his hands to his chest and turns his face to the other side in a poor attempt to look angry.

"Remember your promise."

Sasuke pauses. He holds the paper midway of turning it and clenches it tightly between his two fingers. He looks at Sakura to notice her determined, unwavering eyes, and he knew that he cannot reply to that. He was besieged.

Defeated, Sasuke sighs again, "Alright, I'll go." Sakura actually managed to use his promise against him this time. Maybe it is not his lucky day. He should be careful next time when he makes promises.

"Yatta!" Naruto throws his hand up in the air, earning an incredibly scary glare from the female librarian. Terrified, he awkwardly withdraws his hand, "See ya at eleven, teme!" he whispers and flees in the blink of an eye.

Sasuke sighs at his best friend's antics.

The sweet giggling made the Uchiha turn his face to the girl sitting beside him. She was laughing. Finally, she was sincerely happy. He took his time to admire her. Oh, how he wished he could go back in time and fix his mistake! How could he ever miss this sight? Rather, what did he ever do to deserve the sight he is seeing right now, at this very moment?

"You really take pleasure in tormenting me, don't you?" he smirks at her, and she, startled, blushes darkly at his attitude. He knows he has that effect on her.

Quickly, she regains her composure and decides to tease him back, "That's right, Uchiha. Is there any problem?" she folds her hands to her chest with a hardly maintained serious face.

"Not at all," he replies. "I just thought you may help me through this, but again don't you enjoy tormenting me?"

Sakura was taken aback by his comment. Sasuke could see it, and he thought that maybe he said something wrong. Maybe he did not have a sense of humor after all.

"It's just…" Sakura started hesitatingly, "I'm not in the mood, sorry." She looked away, and Sasuke regretted saying what he had said because she seems to have taken it seriously.

He wonders out of concern about what could possibly make her so vulnerable and melancholic.

Maybe…

"Are you hiding something from me?" he asks, hoping that it is not true, that there are no more shocks he has to go through again.

Sakura, again, was taken aback. In an attempt to defend herself, she frantically shakes her head, "It's not like that, Sasuke-kun," she looks away again, "I just want to enjoy my surroundings."

Sasuke wants to say that it is his fault, that he wants to make it all up to her, but his voice betrays him. He fears that she is doing this because she believed that she would disappear in any moment, forever.

Overwhelmed by the heavy atmosphere, Sakura tries to ease it up, "Uchiha, are you slacking off again?" she teases again, "You still have a lot of work to do before you go out with the guys, you know, and I cannot tolerate that!"

Sasuke takes a moment to admire her spirit. He is now amused again, so he smirks, "Roger that, Captain Haruno."

* * *

She did not tell him what is happening to her. She did not dare touch anything if front of him, fearing that something should happen again and evading his reaction to it.

She feared that he might get sucked in his emotions again, that guilt might burden his heart.

She clearly knows what he is feeling, but she also does not know what to do.

* * *

"And then I told him to go and fuck himself before he messes with my girl." Kiba, the dog boy, roars. The guys' loud laughing break through the noise in the bar as if it was not enough. Sasuke had to admit the drunken atmosphere here helps him forget, but who said he wants to forget? And how much has he been drinking? Is this his second bottle? Both his thoughts and vision are clouded, and he actually lets himself dwell in the effect of alcohol.

He wants to stay here a little longer.

"Oh, guys, listen to this!" Kiba starts again_. It is probably another boring story of his_, Sasuke thinks, but he still listens. "Did I tell you that this idiot here," he puts his hand on Naruto's shoulder in a drunken manner, "actually doesn't remember who his childhood crush was?!"

Again, everyone starts laughing, while Sasuke pauses the half full glass at his mouth. The atmosphere suddenly became suffocating.

"No way!" Lee manages to say. Sasuke is sure the guy will bust a gut if he does not control his laughter.

"How troublesome." Shikamaru lazily comments.

Embarrassed, Naruto blushes heavily, "Hey! You didn't have to bring that up, man! What an asshole!" he cries.

Sasuke is now starting to get emotionally confused. Hearing this, he burns with anger and hatred toward his poor friend. But then he thinks it all makes sense. Of course Naruto forgot Sakura, and it is not his fault.

Certainly not his fault.

Slamming the bottle and the money on the counter, he takes his leave, ignoring his friends' protests.

He feels that if he stayed there a moment longer he would explode.

* * *

Sakura ran to the door when she heard it open. She cheerfully welcomed the _very drunk_ Sasuke home, "Welcome home, Sasuke-kun!" she was a bit worried about the state he was in. He was drunk, he was gloomy, he was exhausted, and she could tell it was both physically and emotionally. "Mou, Sasuke-kun. How much have you been drinking?" she wishes she had the ability to help him to his room.

She followed him until he reached his room and collapsed on his bed, "You shouldn't sleep like that, Sasuke-kun. You will wake up with a sore back," she made an attempt to shake the bed so he could pay attention, "I know this might sound annoying, but you have to li-"

"I love you."

Sakura literally froze.

She stared at the pained, handsome man in front of her in shock. Did she hear right? She did not dare say a word or reply to what she heard, mainly because she did not know how. A small part of her mind kept telling her that what she had just heard was just her imagination, her mind playing tricks on her.

"I love you so much that it hurts," she hears it again. It was not her imagination.

Silence followed. Sakura was shocked, confused, and speechless. This is the time when she is supposed to be ecstatic, when she was supposed to scream the usual 'I have always loved you!' to the whole universe for her love has been finally returned.

But she knew she couldn't. In fact, she was the complete opposite of happy.

She was devastated, broken.

The love of her life returned her feelings in the worst circumstances ever. He cannot love her properly, and she can never return his love.

What an ironic, devastating situation.

"Why," she hears him say again, and she is all ears, "Why are you doing this to me?" he is now looking at her with tears in his eyes. "Why do you have to torment me like this? Isn't that why I have been denying love all of my life?"

Those words fell on Sakura like a thousand bricks.

* * *

Sakura was no fool.

She knew exactly what was happening. She knew exactly what happened that morning when he woke up not remembering her and spending a fraction of second to recognize her. She was too selfish up to this moment to consider his feelings.

Sakura is no fool.

She knows perfectly fine that the Uchiha was drunk and all that he said was the opposite of what he meant. He would never ever say something like this to her, but that did not mean he was not right.

He was right. He had a point even if he would never say it out loud.

She is selfish.

She stared at the handsome sleeping man. He was sleeping peacefully with tears staining his cheeks, and she wanted to dry them but couldn't, so she sobbed.

She cried and cried until she mustered the courage to carry out her decision.

Life is not fair.

Gathering the last bits of energy she had, she tried very hard to hold the stone in her hand, but she could not even lift it. It was barely a touch and her hand went through it, so she spent the next half an hour trying to push it from the cabinet and hiding it under the bed, behind some dusty box.

She knew that he would not be looking for the stone as much as she knew he would not notice her disappearance the next morning when he wakes up.

And that is exactly what happened.

* * *

_In a not so far away land, under the light of the almost full moon, sobs echoed through the silent night. Next to the cave of the sacred stone lied a motionless body of an old man, with a peaceful look on his wrinkled, lifeless face. A ghost of a young woman, who was the source of the sobs, was curled up in a ball next to him, crying her heart out. _

_They both knew that this day was bound to come._

_They both knew that their prayers were never answered._

* * *

**(A/N) It was impossible to divide this chapter..**

**Anyway sorry for the sad chapter the story is about to reach the climax here.  
Tell me what you think, lovely people!**


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N) Yay! I made people cry! c: for some reason it feels good…**

**Oh okay then did I forget to say that I love you all?! Thaaaaaaaaaaaank you for reviewing for this story. I won't disappoint you so here's chapter 8!**

**This is the hardest chapter so far…**

**1 chapter to go! :D I think….**

* * *

**Chapter 08**

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**.**

**.**

Sasuke woke up with the worst hangover he had ever experienced, but it was not the reason for his uneasiness. It was this feeling he cannot name. He was feeling… nothing.

He was feeling empty.

Over and over, in his mind, swarmed a lot of questions he did not know he had asked the day before in the same manner, with the same confusion and the same frustration. The only difference is that he had been answered in the most unexpected way when this 'missing piece of his heart' showed up before his eyes.

But, of course, he does not remember, rather, he does not know, because… in the physical existence of universe, it never happened, did it?

_In the depth of his heart, it did._

'_Why am I still here?' _

It is happening… again, but he does not know that because it is not the depth of his heart he is searching but the back of his mind.

Illogical explanations strangely seemed to satisfy his curiosity. _'I liked it here, in Konoha, my home.' _But he stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly overwhelmed by the thought. _'Can I really call it home?'_ Since when has he started feeling this way? He has no place here, no one to return to.

Someone to return to…

No, he does not have that. He has his friends, but they all can be without him, and he can be without them. He does not have a significant other, or the other half. Never has he ever felt the need for that…

He frowns.

Maybe that is what is missing. Half of him is missing, but… how can you miss something when you never had it in the first place?

Another thought popped in his mind. Could it be that he is actually striving for another half? No, he shook it off immediately. He is in no need for that because he can fill that emptiness himself.

He can fill it himself because, maybe, he has had it until… he lost it somewhere…

_-in a cave, by his foolishness._

_-yesterday, by his foolishness._

He only has to find it…

A distant voice in his head urged him to steal a glance at the cabinet next to his bed, promising him of a satisfying answer, but a simple reasoning with it, along with a really quick glance, proved it wrong. There is nothing there to look at, nothing to answer his unspoken questions, nothing to satisfy his curiosity (his curiosity was not satisfied), nothing to compensate for…

for what?...

For…

_For her. She, the one in the depth of his heart._

He rubs his temple,

_-again,_

and groans in frustration…

-_again_.

He advances towards the bathroom until the voice from before suddenly forces his head to turn back and stare at the closed door, waiting for something he does not know but hopes to emerge from it. He is secretly hoping for… someone to open the door right now-

_-for her to open it like she did before._

-and satisfy his curiosity (his curiosity was never satisfied).

A minute, two, three, four passed, and he does not realize it until his neck starts to hurt, so he sighs and turns it back, resuming his previous advance. He wants to take a relaxing shower to clear his mind…

_-he does not know that it is not his mind that is suffering but his heart._

He opens the bathroom door, steps in, and closes it swiftly behind him, but not before he glances at the room's door once again…

'_What am I expecting?'_

_Her._

* * *

He has gone for a walk, around the village, to seek the answers he is searching but cannot find.

And he… knows that… he will never know.

Because it makes no sense.

Something is missing. It is here. In his heart there is so deep a hole, and no matter how much he tries, he cannot fix it.

Because it makes no sense.

Looking around him, Sasuke finds himself on the road leading to the village gate. His legs have carried him here while wandering aimlessly, but he feels he is here for a reason. The sun set an hour ago, and the full moon hung gloomily on the page of the sky.

It was a day like this, a time like this, a moon like this.

"_I love you with all my heart!"_

From the side of his eyes, he swore he could see a figure sleeping on a certain bench. However, there is nothing, no one, there. There is no pink.

Pink?

He moved to stand before the annoying bench. Without a reason, he kept staring at it. He does not know what it is but the voice is screaming in his mind that it was here, the thing that he is missing. It keeps on bouncing in his head, the voice, and causing him an unbearable headache.

Eventually, the mere sight of the bench bothered him. It became something he wanted to run away from only for the sake of defying the annoying voice in his head.

"_**You are annoying."**_

His stomach twisted. Yes, it was annoying…

_-like her, because she makes him feel. She makes him love._

Feeling nauseous, the Uchiha could not take it anymore. He could not handle the sight of the bench or the general atmosphere of this place, so he turned around and headed to his apartment.

He cannot stay here any minute longer.

Konoha, that it.

* * *

"I can't believe what you did yesterday, Teme! I thought you finally started to open up again and be more of a sociable, tolerable person, but you end up leaving, just like that, ignoring us in the process? Seriously what kind of a fucked up situation is that? Do you really intend to stay like that for th…"

Naruto's voice slowly started to fade in his mind. In his mind, he only heard another voice, a voice that is not from here, a voice he has never heard before. It started speaking different words, then sentences, and he could understand them all, the words, but at the same time, they made no sense.

And he cannot conceive it, the voice, or make a conception out of it, so he cannot know to whom it belongs. Or why or… how? Is it a he or a she? Why is it even there? Is Sasuke Uchiha finally going crazy?

He learnt from experience that these questions will never be answered, so he stared at the blond in front of him, pretending to be listening, but he was actually listening to the voi-

"Teme! Are you even listening?!" Naruto finally made that discovery, and Sasuke cursed him in his mind for the interruption of thoughts. He did not bother to answer, so Naruto pushed his way into the apartment, brushing his emotionless friend who was holding the door with his good hand aside and seating himself comfortably on the sofa.

Silence…

"I have to go." Sasuke spoke a minute after, finally closing the door and turning to meet Naruto's questioning gaze. He spoke in such frustration that did not go unnoticed by his best friend, and he wanted to say it all, what he has been through, but how can he when he cannot explain it himself? How can he put it in words? He can't.

The most logical thing to do is to leave Konoha because maybe they are the ghosts of his past that are chasing him.

Maybe it was just now that Naruto noticed the fact that he was wearing his travelling clothes. Patiently, Sasuke waited for his friend's response until it came out hesitatingly. Naruto cast his gaze to the ground, "At least tell me what's going on..." It was said in a sad tone, mingled with an emotion that Sasuke had heard before.

Helplessness.

"_Why won't you tell me anything?"_

The voice…

Sighing, Naruto continued in a sincere tone, "You don't have to be alone anymore, Sasuke. If you have a problem, tell me and we will figure something out together."

"_On that day, you taught me that solitude is painful! I understand that so well right now. I have family, and I have friends but if you're gone... To me... It will be the same as being alone."_

Naruto lifted his gaze, "Oi, Teme!"

"_Why won't you tell me anything?"_

"_**Why should I EVER tell you anything?"**_

Sasuke jerked his head at his own voice, not noticing the worried look he received from Naruto or how he looked in his eyes.

Twisted.

"_I... I love you with all my heart!... If you were to stay here with me, there would be no regrets...because every day we'd do something fun, we'd be happy I swear...! I would do anything for you! So... please, just stay with me!"_

"Sasuke!"

"_I love you with all my heart!"_

"SASUKE!"

The Uchiha's eyes went wide, and his legs barely supported his shaking form. Naruto looked into Sasuke's eyes in shock as he held his shoulder firmly with both of his hands.

Tears were streaming down Sasuke's face, a sight Naruto could have never imagined to witness.

Sasuke was surrounded by darkness. He felt like he was falling down a dark hole, and he accepted it, not daring to fight it or cry out for help. He was unaware of his surroundings, or for Naruto's desperate calls, so he fell, He let himself collapse on the floor, breathing heavily and choking on air.

"Wh-what's going on, Sasuke, goddamit!" it was all in panic.

It was there! Here! Something is wrong! Something is missing! Something is missing! Something is mis-

He jerked his head towards his bedroom and activated his Sharingan. All he saw was red. Something is missing! Violently, he pushed Naruto off him and rushed to the small cabinet, slamming the drawers open one by one and throwing them on the floor, emptying their contents and rummaging through the pile of _annoying _stuff.

'_It has to be here! It has to be here!' _his mind screamed over and over.

"What are you looking for, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted from the door. It was a sight that worried him

'_It has to be here! It has to be here!'_

"**WHY IS IT NOT HERE?!"** Words were caught in Naruto's throat, and he took a step back from the surprise. It was absolute panic he felt when Sasuke looked at him in that frightening look and seemed to be directing the question at him. Naruto believed that whatever was happening to his friend was not normal.

He saw death in his eyes.

He was about to try reasoning with Sasuke when he saw him move to the wardrobe and treat it in the same violent manner, searching and searching, only to find nothing. He stared helplessly at his best friend who moved about the room, causing absolute mess here and there.

Sasuke was going crazy.

And Naruto hoped that the punch he threw to his friend's face would wake him up.

Sasuke was violently slammed to the side of the bed. He felt a horrible pain on his left cheek, and his body hurt from the shock. His mind did not ask why he was interrupted because he had one goal set on his mind. "I-it h-has to be here." he weekly said, trying to get up once again and continue searching, but Naruto was faster than him. In less than a second, he was on top of him, grabbing his collar and yelling at his face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Sasuke!"

Sasuke could not take it anymore. He felt more than helpless. This is not how things were supposed to go. He has to look for it. It has to be here. Please. He lets his hand fall to his side and cries again.

He is such a useless scum!

Naruto watched as the emotionally stoic Uchiha shed silent tears. And the look on his face, oh, how he is in a tremendous pain! It looked like Sasuke was being tortured, emotionally, from the inside of his heart…

_-the depth of his heart._

Naruto's eyes softened, and his grip loosened. He did not like what he was seeing, "Just tell me, Sasuke, what are you looking for?" he desperately whispered, trying to reach out for his friend.

Sasuke started sobbing. That was a question he could not answer because he did not know himself. Something is missing, and it has to be here. He lost his ability to reason, his ability to function, his ability to pull himself together, because he did not know what…

he does not know… what is wrong with him.

It has to be here.

Hearing no answer, Naruto slowly got up and stared at his friend in pain, "Get up, Sasuke, and talk to me."

Groaning from the pain in his face and body, Sasuke moved to lie on his side, attempting to stand up and regain his posture-

A shining object from under the bed caught his eye.

Without a second thought, he frantically moved the offensive, dusty box aside and stretched his hand to grab the… stone…

the beautiful emerald… stone…

_-the beautiful emerald eyes._

He held it in his hand, mesmerizing its exquisite beauty.

A beauty he has been looking for.

Because it was missing…

and it was here…

"Sa…" he frowned. He has to remember it. It was coming back. A hole in his heart is filling again.

Sakura Haruno.

She was missing.

"Sakura…"

And she is here…

_Here._

* * *

**(A/N) Alright I'm scared xD **

**This chapter was so hard to write for some reason and I'm actually hoping you will like it ;_;**

**Like… did it reach you? Did it?**

**Tell me what you think, lovely people! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N) I am baaack! Yay! I made people cry again :3 Apparently there's still one chapter left… I could not finish it in one chapter. It didn't feel right, and this chapter had to be alone so… y'know… I can make you CRY! **

**Lol hopefully tho….**

**Sorry for the long wait guys here's chapter 9 :D**

* * *

**Chapter 09**

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**.**

**.**

A pink haired woman walked silently through the small village. Having no destination, she let her legs carry her to the place that seemed to fit, to the deceptive stone where everything started. If it were not for the state she was in, she would be pumping into the seemingly endless crowd of people in the lively street. Her uneven footsteps were sloppy from the weakness, and she felt that she was fading, that she was being sucked to somewhere she did not know.

She wished that she would just disappear sooner, once and for all, for there is no reason to be in this world any more.

There was nothing to feel, no reason to _live_, no one to return to.

_Sasuke-kun…_

She clutches her heart. Oh, how she wants to see him right now, to feel him under her touch if just for one single second, but the first wish is too selfish, and the second is simply impossible.

What was she thinking when she stayed with him? What was she hoping for? Nothing happened, and nothing will. All that is left is the emotional scar that went deep across her heart, shattering it into diminutive, insignificant pieces, and he? He must have forgotten her by now.

"_I love you so much that it hurts."_

She chuckles. Actually, he may be thinking of someone else other than her now, or even may have already fallen in love with another…

The mere idea brought her some sort of sickness.

But it is her fate, and she has to accept it whether she liked it or not, and she could not-would not- blame him at all. 'It is not his fault…"

For a whole day, she wondered what could have been if he had confessed long before this happened. Then, another thought emerged. Maybe it is what had happened that made him confess at all. Maybe if she had not made that wish they would have ended up fighting and not making up even though he loved her. He denied his love for her. He cared for her…

But it did not matter, did it? In both possibilities, they would never be together. It was either not possible or impossible.

"Please… I need a miracle…"

She did not realize she had stopped walking until the full moon met her desperate gaze, staring back at her, and she chuckled again. The moon, it had a soul. It must be mocking her at the moment. Everything around her had a soul. Everything was mocking her because she had the worst fate of all…

'_What am I even thinking?'_ There is no logic. _'What am I? A soul or a body? What am I?'_

Did she even exist? Could she just be a hallucination of a stray soul wandering the earth with no destination? The memories in her head… are they true? Could she trust them? Did she make the man named Sasuke Uchiha suffer false memories as well and go through a painful experience with her?

'_Am I real…?'_

This question made sense.

The breeze of the night swayed the trees around her, rustling their countless green leaves and creating a beautiful but gloomy scene. It brought a familiar chill of the night, but also a weak unfamiliar weeping sound…

Sakura's trained ears picked it up, and she suddenly realized it was not her imagination. Someone was actually crying, a woman, and she was not so far away. If Sakura walks for a few minutes in the small forested land, she will find the source of it.

Which is the exact same road that leads to the sacred stone.

Her adrenaline spiked when she knew where that weeping woman was located. The sound got higher and higher as she advanced, and a familiar gloomy sensation crept and consumed her wounded heart. Was it happening again? Does someone have to suffer the same torture she and Sasuke went through? Upon the thought, her footsteps went faster every instant, hoping to reach there as soon as possible.

'_Please, God, don't let it happen again.'_

Once she was out in front of the small cave, she was greeted with the view of a woman's back, and she immediately knew that she was the source of the crying, but her eyes moved fast to land on the unmoving body next to the entrance of the cave…

That old man…! he-

But her thoughts were cut off, and they were replaced by another alarmed state. At once, Sakura's medical instinct kicked in, and she took urgent steps toward him, "Is he okay? Is he hurt somewhere?" she blurted out, attempting to check his pulse as she ducked to his level… but she stopped midway…

Oh… right, she couldn't… and the woman… she did not hear her…

Besides, even if she could, the man was already dead. From her experience, she could tell that he lost his life a couple of hours ago.

How… ironic…

She could not do anything. Life kept on crushing her under its feet like a dry, insignificant dead leaf. Was it not enough? She had already fallen off the tree. She had no chance to live again. Stop it!

_Stop devastating me!_

Frustrated, she turned to her right where the woman was, but what she did not expect was to find her staring at her dead in the eyes …

What…?

Words were caught in her throat.

How…?

Sakura's lips moved several times before she could start something. What to do? What to say? Is she imagining this? IS SHE?

"Y-you…" she whispered. In front of her was a fine young woman of around her age, or maybe a bit older but looked young, and she was staring right at her, "You can see me…" It was not a question but a statement, because nothing made sense, and she would not spend another seconds trying to comprehend it. She did not know what to feel about what was happening, but she knew only one thing…

She was so relieved to the point that tears fell down her rosy cheeks.

"You can see me!" This time, happiness reflected on her tone, and she was patiently waiting for the slightest reaction from the woman. If she could just answer her now! '_Please, God, do not disappoint me,'_ she thought. It is finally happening, a miracle.

But woman did not seem surprised at all, "I remember you," she said out of the blue, and Sakura was confused. It was the first time she saw that woman. "You were with that man… the one with the black hair and the hard look… I finally got to see you…"

Sakura did not follow. Sasuke? That woman saw her with Sasuke when they first came here together? And she… can actually remember and see her.

"I… I am sorry but I don't remember you at all…" Sakura awkwardly spoke. This time, she has to find a way out of this situation. Maybe it is the miracle she wished for and God sent it to help her. Maybe there were some beams of hope after all.

The woman awkwardly, sadly chuckled, "Of course you don't," she cast her head to the ground and started shedding small tears again. Only this time, Sakura realized something she had not taken note of before.

This woman was… not…

"You are…" Sakura attempted to speak but could not bring herself to finish.

"Just like you… yes." The woman completed the unspoken statement for her. At that moment, Sakura's hopes were shattered once again, but it was more powerful than before. She could not take any more shocks, and she certainly could not tolerate having her hopes crushed over and over again…

She should not have had her hopes up. She should not have let her guard down.

Seeing the tears that threatened to fall from the pinkette's eyes, the woman spoke again to distract her, "Judging by… this, I suppose nothing changed at all, did it?" It was a sad question, and she did not wait for its answer. She could tell from Sakura's state. "I-… we hoped for a miracle to happen to you… we really did…" and Sakura understood she meant the old man.

Hearing this, Sakura stopped her tears. Sadness was replaced by another feeling, anger, but she did not show it. She only let some sarcastic chuckles escape her trembling lips. "I should've known," she sarcastically spoke, "Nothing will change. Nothing will happen." She focused on the lifeless man in front of her. "Is this how it should end?... why?! Why did this have to happen? Why is life not fair! He loved me back, God! He loved me back!" She stopped the screams that unconsciously escaped her lips when she felt the woman's arms around her, holding her tightly, reassuringly.

"It's okay. I know. It's okay…" the woman faintly whispered. She, too, was in tears.

This time, Sakura wept. She wept her heart out, sobbed, screamed, thrashed until her throat hurt.

It was a few minutes when she stopped, tear stained and frustrated. All that could be heard were the faint uncontrollable moans that escaped her small lips. "I was scared," she spoke again, but with no energy to raise her voice. All she could manage was a faint whisper, "I was scared that I would end up forgetting how a hold like this felt like," she moaned out.

The woman did not pull away. She gently hushed the messy pinkette and rubbed her back, letting her take her time to recover.

"I want to be with him." Sakura pulled away as she rubbed her swollen eyes. She may not find a way out of this, but she can finally let out her frustration, put her unspoken inner feelings into words.

The woman pitied her, but she did not care; they could relate to on another anyway. "And why is he not here, with you?" she asked.

The question brought back the memories of last night. She remembered the drunken confession, the helplessness and the guilt of her raven-haired lover. "I left," she simply answered in a hoarse, broken voice, "I left because I can't bear to see him suffer anymore." Her lips quivered. That is right. He does not have to live a living hell because of her.

For a moment, the woman said nothing, but Sakura could identify the disapproving look she held. She was desperate to hear a response from the strange woman. _'Please, talk to me.'_ And a few seconds after, she finally spoke, "You are wrong."

Sakura remained silent. It was a simple statement. She did not dare speak because she wanted the woman to continue. How could she be wrong? She brought him first, not caring about herself at all. She **knew **that if she had stayed longer, Sasuke would end up like that old ma-

"Do you know why it is called the Moonstone?" the woman asked, and Sakura was confused at the sudden change of topic. She followed her gaze, and her eyes landed on the full moon in the night sky. "It is because when one holds it in the moonlight, they start… _hallucinating..._" Sakura frowned at the strange description. Those were not hallucinations. "They see things others don't see, feel things others don't feel…"

Oh…

Oh… that is how everything started.

"However," the woman turned to stare at the peaceful face of her lifeless lover, "People who experienced the true pain know that the most accurate name would be 'the Stone of **Regret**.'"

It made sense. Sakura seemed to understand it all, and her heart clenched painfully. This stone was not meant to make your wishes come true, it was meant to make you regret…

… to make you suffer the consequences of your foolish actions.

Words… do hurt…

"_I love you so much that it hurts."_

"That's why… no matter what you do…" the woman did not need to complete her sentence. Sakura already knew the rest. "He… will certainly forget you, but he will never forget his feelings, guilt, regret, **love**... He will never forget he loved you. He will feel empty from the inside, and he will never ever fix it or go back to how he was before he met you... because you… are there, in the depth of his heart."

Sakura's heart sank. He must suffer, and she can never change that.

He was cursed.

The woman moved a hand to caress the lifeless man's cheek, "Me and Ishida-kun were helplessly in love…" she smiled sadly as she remembered their happy times, the times when they were together, the times when their biggest concern was saving money to build a small house near the bayou that crossed their land. She remembered the quarrel they had when they speculated whether their first child would be a boy or a girl, and she remembered how naïve they both sounded then and how they immediately made up…

"You can… touch him…" Sakura whispered, feeling somewhat guilty to cut the woman's happy memories she knew she had.

The woman slowly nodded, "I finally can… His soul left his body, so I finally can…" and she started to tear up again.

How… ironic…

Sakura understood that they both were forbidden to touch anything with a soul. The universe has a soul, so she cannot stay in it, enjoy it, live properly in it.

She was cursed.

"We have suffered, but it's over now," the woman whispered again, impatiently. "I finally get to meet him."

A strong light surrounded her figure. Sakura watched the woman slowly fade into nonexistence. Her figure was slowly flickering and deafening, "You… are going to…"

"What has kept me here all this time was his memory of me," the woman turned her focus to Sakura now, "But now it is gone, and I will soon follow." Sakura gasped, amazed at the euphoric smile on the woman's face. Her eyes lit with anticipation, and there was a smile after years of patience, frustration, despair, heartbreak. "I will be with him… forever."

It is over, for her. She will suffer no more.

Sakura smiled, and it was sincere.

"I still wish for a miracle to happen," the woman spoke as she slowly stood up, fading more and more every instant. "I hope the both of you won't end up like the both of us."

Sakura nodded, still smiling, "I am going back." _'I will never lose hope.'_

The woman's eyes closed as she shed one final tear of joy before she disappeared forever in the strong white light that resembled that of the moon.

Sakura stood silently in her place, still staring at the empty space where the nonexistent woman once existed.

It was a moment of epiphany that urged her to sort out her feelings, her thoughts, her decisions. Hopes were built up again, along with her resolve and… courage. Yes, taking a decision like this one requires courage because from now on, they will suffer dearly. They will experience the injustice of life and the insensibility of situations. They will walk together through an illogical, peculiar road.

They will learn to express their true feelings, and conceal them sometimes. They will learn how to never give up…

… because they will never give up.

"_Sakura… thank you."_

* * *

**(A/N) Ta daaaa! That was hard I hope it reached you… lol sorry for the gloom but yeah this is the plot so ..**

**See ya next chapter! It will be the last! **

**You know the usual request.. tell me what you think in the reviews… I always read them and I want to thank every single person but I'm afraid I might forget someone so hear this… I LOVE YOU!**


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